Running-gear for vehicles.



-No. 683,612. Patented Oct. I, l90l.

J. E. LOCKE.

RUNNING GEAR FOB VEHICLES.

Application filed July 19, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JUDSON E. LOOKE, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

RUNNING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,612, dated October 1, 1901.

Application filed July 19, 1901.

Serial No. 68,924. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUDsoN E. LocKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in running-gear for vehicles; and it has for its object to provide a short-turning gear of improved construction in which is provided an upper and lower reach, the lower reach being pivotally connected to the axle, while the upper or divided reach is secured to the body-supporting frame so as to project at right angles with the main supporting-bar thereof, the parts of the upper reach being in pivotal and sliding engagement with each other, so that when the front axle is turned the rear axle will be turned at an opposing angle, so as to make a short turn.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of gears in which the body of the vehicle will be moved to one side as the vehicle is turned to permit the wheels to assume a sharper angle with respect to the body than if the body was in fixed relation to the center of the gear.

The invention further consists in an improved arrangement of the draft bar, the same being connected to the springs of the forward gear and to the forward section of the upper reach.

The invention further consists in the special construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the application of my improved short-turn running-gear applied to a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a plan view, the body being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail view, partlyin section, of the sliding frame and rollers thereof, which are carried by the adjacent ends of the upper reach. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the cross-bars or bolsters.

A refers to the body portion of a vehicle which is provided with bolsters a, a, each having project ng'portions, that on the forward bolster extending rearward, while that on the rear bolster extends toward the front. The ends of the projecting portions 1) b have connections,which may be bolts, pins, or other analogous fixtures, for making connection between the ends of the projecting portions and the upper reach, the points of connection be' ing to one side or to the front and rear of the pivotal points of attachment of the main reach with the axle. The under side of the bolsters a a are provided with wear-plates c c, which rest upon plates d, attached to the crossbars or bolsters e e of the gears. The bolsters e e have rods 6 which connect the same to the sections of the divided reach. The upper or divided reach Bis made up of two sections, the rear section being carried by the rear bolster e, to the ends of which are secured elliptical springs, which are also attached to the axle. The forward section of the reach B has attached thereto a fixture g, having a longitudinal slot g, and the other section carries plates f 1, which are provided with registering apertures to receive upwardly-projecting pins f on a frame which is constructed to receive and carrya pair of rollers f of a size to play in the slot g of the fixture g. By this means the ends of the divided reach are connected so as to have when turned out of line a pivotal and sliding movement. The forward ends of the front springs instead of being connected to each other in the usual manner are attached to a draft-bar O, which draftbar may also be connected in any suitable manner to the front bolster 6, preferably by the pole-futchells i i. The main reach or coupling-pole D is pivotally connected to the front and rear axles, and the connectingbolts may be on a line with or the same bolts that connect the jointed reach to the bolsters.

It will be noted that in a running-gear constructed in accord with my invention both.

the front and rear wheels may be of the same diameter, and consequently similar axles may be used, also that the bolsters are duplicates of each other, such construct-ion reducing materially the cost of production.

The bolsters e e are provided on their upper sides with plates d, against which the plates on the under side of the bolsters a a of the wagon-body engage, and the ends of the plates may have slits, so that the portion between the slits may be bent downward to provide depending lugs which engage the sides of the springs, the other side of said springs contacting with the ends of the bar. The bottom bars Z of the bolsters are bent to provide trusses having openings at the center for the passage of connecting-bolts, and the ends of these bars are similar in shape to those above; but in this instance the lugs project upwardly. The upper plates d,which are carried by the bolsters, may have curved extensions on each side.

In operation a vehicle provided with my im proved gear will turn in a much shorter space than any short-turning gear that has come to my knowledge, as the improvement embodies means for moving the body of the vehicle to one side and away from the wheels, which turn in toward the body. Thus I gain several inches more space, permitting the wheels to be turned at quite a shape angle toward each other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isp 1. In a short-turn running-gear, the combination of a continuous lower reach which is pivotally connected to the axle,'springs carried by the axle, bolsters attached to the u pper sections of the springs, plates with projecting portions carried by the bolsters, an upper divided reach the sections thereof being rigidly attached to the bolsters the adjacent ends being in movable engagement one with the other, body-supportin g bolsters having wearplates with projecting portions, bolts for connecting the projecting portions of the plates to the divided reach out of line with the bolts upon which the axle turns, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a short-turn running-gear, the combination of a lower reach or coupling-pole which is pivot-ally attached to the axles, springs on the axles, bolsters connecting the springs, a divided reach the sections thereof being rigidly attached to the front and rear bolsters, the adjacent ends of the divided reach being held in sliding engagement, a body supporting bolster, wear 1 plates attached to the several bolsters said wear-plates having extensions as shown, bolts connecting the extensions said bolts being out of vertical alinement with the bolts which connect the lower reach with the axles for the purpose set forth. a

3. In a running-gear for vehicles, the combination with a one-piece or rigid main reach which extends from one axle to the other and is pivotally attached to the front and rear axles, a divided reach having its front and rear ends rigidly attached to the front and rear sections of the running-gear, means for connecting the sections of the divided reach with each other so that they will be in sliding engagement with each other, the connection between the axles and reaches being through the springs of the vehicle and the cross-bars which connect each pair of springs, together with means for connecting the body to the running-gear so that said body will be moved laterally when the axles are turned out of line with each other, said means in cluding wear-plates with extensions through which pass bolts said bolts being out of vertical alinement with the bolts which connect the lower reach to the axles, for the purpose set forth.

4:. In ashort-turn running-gear for vehicles the combination with axles which are pivotally connected to each other by a rigid coupling-pole, springs connected to the axles, each pair of springs being attached to bolsters which are carried thereby, a divided reach made up of sections which project and are rigidly attached to the bolster-plates secured to the ends of the bolsters, braces attached to the sections of the divided reach and to the bolsters, the vehicle body having bolsters With wear-plates and front and rear projecting portions which engage the divided reach, the point of connection being out of line with the point of connection of the main reach with the axles, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JUDSON E. LOOKE. Witnesses:

FRANK J. HINOKLEY, FRANK S. MORRISON. 

